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Tip

Sweet pastry

The sweet pastry is quite fragile because it has a higher proportion of butter to flour than most pastry. If you find it impossible to roll out, it can be easily moulded with fingertips, like marzipan, into the tart case.

Tip

Tip from Gordon

'Instead of ceramic or metal baking beans, I use uncooked rice. It is lighter, so holds the pastry down without squashing it.'

Tip

Pastry cases - flavours and storing

You can experiment with extra flavours for the dough. My other
favourite flavours are lavender flowers, vanilla seeds and cardamom seeds – whatever suits the season and topping.
The cases can be rolled out and frozen for up to 1 month and cooked from frozen, or baked up to a day ahead and
stored in an airtight container. Complete the topping and cream about 30 mins before serving.

Tip

Fluted or straight?

I like to use a straight-sided ring for the tart,
but if you only have a fluted one it will be
fine – you just need to roll the pastry out a
bit thicker so that it will get into all the ridges.

Method

To make the pastry, sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until it is the texture
of crumbs, then mix in the sugar and thyme leaves. Make a well in the centre. Beat the egg yolks together, then stir into the mixture with a table knife until it forms soft clumps. Using your fingers, draw the pastry together into a rough dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. Rub a little softened butter around a plain 20cm x 2cm flan ring.

Cover a heavy baking sheet with nonstick baking parchment and place the ring in the centre. Dust the work surface
and rolling pin with flour. Lightly re-knead the dough until smooth, then roll out to a round roughly 30cm in diameter. Lift the dough over the rolling pin and drape over the ring. Press gently into the sides and let the overhang fall on the outside. Break off a chunk of pastry and roll into a ball. Dip into a little of the icing sugar, then use it to press the dough into the
ring. Do not trim at this stage. Chill the tart case for at least 30 mins, preferably in the freezer.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cover the tart case with a large round of baking parchment, then half-fill with
uncooked rice. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 15 mins. Remove and lift out the parchment and rice. Turn oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3, wait about 5 mins, then return the case and bake for a further 10 mins until golden brown. Remove and cool for 10 mins. Using a small, sharp knife, cut away excess pastry, trimming the ring top. Loosen the sides
with a knife, pull off the ring and leave to cool. The case should be biscuit crisp.

To make the filling, place the strawberries on a plate, dredge with the icing sugar and vinegar, then set aside. Beat the cream with the grated zests until just forming soft peaks. Scoop the passion fruit pulp into a small sieve and rub
through onto the cream with the back of a spoon, then stir in the crème fraîche and yogurt. Stack the large basil leaves together, shape into a roll, thinly slice into shreds, then chop. Fold these into the cream.

When the base has completely cooled (it doesn’t matter if it has broken around the sides a little), assemble the tart. Spoon the cream into a piping bag without a nozzle, then pipe in small, even dollops over the base. Drain the strawberries
and press lightly onto the cream. Dust over more icing sugar, tuck in the small basil leaves among the strawberries and serve immediately.

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Comments, questions and tips

Comments

This is the best strawberry tart i've ever made! The pastry is delicious (the thyme is an excellent addition) and the filling combines perfectly. I've tried both with and without the balsamic vinegar and it's great both ways. It takes time to make the pastry but it definitely pays off in the end! Thanks Gordon!

Absolutely fantastic! THe pastry was well behaved and rolled and cooked beautifully and the flavoured cream wored so well, despite the rather unusual ingredients. The only thing I probably would not bother with next time is the balsamic vinegar on the strawberries as it gave them rather a muddy look and whilst it adds a nice flavour when they are on ther own, it wasn't needed here. I'll definitely be making it again though.

This is a great recipe, looked a little daunting but I gave it a go and I can happily say it actually worked.... not all my recipes do! I'm hoping it wasn't just luck as plan to make it again this weekend. The pastry is amazing and I got lots of compliments! Would recommend it to everyone as if i can make it work, almost everyone else can! I would say to let the first lot of balsamic / sugar dry a little before you put the strawberries in the tart and then cover with more sugar so it doesn't just go gloopy.

Made this tart a few times last summer - a wonderful combination of flavours - really memorable to eat and brought many compliments. Easy to prepare but needs to be put together just before serving first course or pastry loses some of its delicious biscuity quality.

My friends and family simply LOVED this recipe. It is so beautiful to look at we didn't want to cut into it at first. Highly recommended recipe for anyone and everyone. I am not the most accomplished cook, but this one even I could do.

I was a little unsure about this recipe when I read the ingredients but thought I'd try it cause it looked impresive! Well I'm glad I did because it was delicious, the flavours work so well all together - taste a little odd if you eat them individually but once assembled YUMMY!

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